The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a method for assisting a paper sheet supplying operation and a control program, and specifically relates to an image forming apparatus, a method for assisting a paper sheet supplying operation and a control program, each of which makes a vacant tray so as to make it possible to supply paper sheets in a unit of a single or a plurality of bunches of paper sheets.
In recent years, there have been increasingly proliferated in the market various kinds of printing apparatuses, such as a printer, a Digital Multi Function Peripheral, etc., (hereinafter, referred to as an image forming apparatus as a general term for each of them). Since the image forming apparatus conducts such processing for forming an image based on a print job, and then, transferring the concerned image onto a paper sheet accommodated in a paper sheet tray, the print job concerned is suspended when the paper sheet tray becomes empty. Accordingly, from the apparatus operating point of view, it has been important for an operator of the image forming apparatus to conduct such management activities for purchasing, storing, supplying the paper sheets, etc.
With respect to the management operation of the paper sheets, generally well-known is a technology for detecting a residual amount of paper sheets remaining in the paper sheet tray, so as to notify the operator of the necessity of the paper sheet supplying operation when the residual amount of paper sheets decreases to a value being equal to or smaller than a certain threshold value. For instance, the publication of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-30657 sets forth a method for displaying information of another paper sheet tray, for which the same size and the same kind of paper sheets are established, in an emphasized mode, when the residual amount of paper sheets remaining in the paper sheet tray currently used decreases.
In this connection, the paper sheets to be used in the image forming apparatus are purchased in such a state that a single or plural bunches of paper sheets, each of which includes several hundred paper sheets, is/are packaged into a single box. When the box is opened and a part of a single bunch of paper sheets are supplied into the paper sheet tray, usually, the remaining paper sheets have been piled onto a shelf in a careless way, to store them. In this case, there have arisen such problems that the paper sheets are contaminated and bended to such an extent that those cannot be employed for actual use, and the environmental beauty is spoiled.
In order to eliminate the abovementioned problems, it would be desirable that the paper sheets are supplied into the apparatus in a unit of a single bunch of paper sheets or a plurality of bunches of paper sheets (for instance, a unit of one box). Generally speaking, however, since a capacity of the paper sheet tray is set at such a size that a single bunch of paper sheets or a plurality of bunches of paper sheets can be just accommodated therein, if the paper sheets are newly supplied into the paper sheet tray in which a certain amount of paper sheets still remain, it is impossible to accommodate a part of the paper sheets therein. As a result, it becomes impossible to eliminate the abovementioned problems.
According to the conventional technology as described in the above, when considering from the apparatus operation point of view, it is possible to avoid the suspension of print job caused by the shortage of the paper sheets, while, when considering from the supplier's point of view, it becomes necessary to conduct management activities for handling paper sheets remaining after the paper sheet supplying operation has been completed. Further, there arisen such problems that contaminations and bended folds, generated in the paper sheets, cause losses in its running cost and resources due to unavailability of them, and the environmental beauty around the paper sheet storing place is spoiled.
Further, with respect to a kind of paper sheet, a used amount of which is relatively large, for instance, with respect to the A4 vertical-type paper sheets, it is widely and practically implemented to allot this kind of paper sheets to a plurality of paper sheet trays. However, even in such a case that specific kind of paper sheets are accommodated in each of the plurality of paper sheet trays, for instance, up to a half of its accommodating capacity, the paper sheets occupies plural paper sheet trays. Accordingly, even when the operator wishes to temporarily allot a separate kind of paper sheets to any one of the plural paper sheet trays, it is impossible to achieve this unless a vacant tray exists.